Air conditioning apparatus



P 1936- G. w. LANGFORD AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March 2'7, 19553 Sheets-Sheet 1 miliillil e 1936- G. w. LANGFORD AIR CONDITIONINGAPPARATUS I Filed March 27, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 wl|l||||ll Sept. 15,1936. e. w. LANGFORD 7 2,054,200

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March 27, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 46017544 a gig/4 Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEApplication March 27,

5 Claims.

The invention relates to air conditioning apparatus and has for one ofits objects to provide a portable apparatus which may be easily carriedfrom one room to another. Other objects are to provide an apparatusadapted to filter, humidify, heat and circulate the air; to provide anelectrically operated apparatus which may be readily connected into anelectric socket; to construct the apparatus of two units which areadapted to be used together, or one of which may be used separately; toform one of the units with a fibrous member which is adapted to functionas a wick or a filter, or both; to form the other of 'the units with afan for circulating the air; and

to assemble these units in such manner that the air passing through theapparatus passes through the fibrous member.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of an air conditioningapparatus showing an embodiment of my invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are vertical sections therethrough at right angles toeach other;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an air conditioning apparatus showinganother embodiment of my invention;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line l -M of Figure 4;

Figures 5 and 6 are vertical sections therethrough at right angles toeach other;

Figure 'l is a perspective view of an air conditioning apparatus showinganother embodiment of my invention;

Figure 8 is a rear elevation thereof;

Figures 9 and 10 are vertical sections therethrough at right angles toeach other.

The air conditioning apparatus shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 comprises therectangular receptacle l for liquid, such as water, this receptaclebeing open at its upper end and preferably having its bottom extendinglaterally beyond its side walls to form an endless flange 2. 3 isanupright frame mounted on the bottom of the receptacle and extendingupwardly above its upper end, this frame being laterally spaced from theside walls. 4 is an endless porous fibrous member supported by the frameand extending downwardly within the receptacle to its bottom andpreferably spaced from the side walls of the receptacle. This fibrousmember-is designed to carry the liquid upwardly to its top by capillaryattraction and it is also designed for the passage 1933, Serial No.663,067

of air, so that when the receptacle contains liquid the fibrous memberfunctions both as a wick and an air filter. The fibrous member ispreferably made with two side walls integrally connected at their upperends to embrace the frame and the 5 lowerends of these side wallspreferably engage the bottom of the receptacle l, the arrangement beingsuch that the fibrous member may be readily removed and replaced byanother or cleaned and again mounted upon the frame.

The air conditioning apparatus also comprises the housing 5 which ispreferably of rectangular cross section. The lower end of this housingis open, so that the housing may be telescoped over the receptacle I.The housing is provided in its 15 front wall with the air dischargeopening 6 and in its rear and end walls with the air inlet openings Iwhich are controlled by the shutters 8, these latter openings beingopposite the portion of the fibrous member 4 above the receptacle I. 209 is a fan within the housing and arranged to force air outwardlythrough the discharge opening 6 and I0 is an electric motor within thehousing for driving the fan, the fan being preferably mounted upon therotor shaft. The motor, as 25 shown in the present instance, issupported from the top of the housing by the brackets II.

For the purpose of compelling all of the air passing through the airconditioning apparatus to pass through the fibrous member 4, I have 30secured to the inner sides of the side walls of the housing the endlessstop i2 preferably formed of angle bars which engage the top of thefibrous member 4 and close the space between this top and the side wallsof the housing.

It will be noted that with this construction of air conditioningapparatus the receptacle I and the associated parts carried thereby forma unit and the housing 5 and the associated parts carried thereby form aseparate unit and that these 40 two units are removably assembled toform a portable apparatus which may be easily carried. With these unitsin assembled relation and with the shutters 8 in open position and theliquid in the receptacle, the fan 9 upon being driven by 45 the electricmotor III will draw air through the air inlet openings I and the fibrousmember 4 and then upwardly into the housing 6 and discharge this airoutwardly through the discharge opening 6. It will also be noted thatthe con- 50 struction is such that the unit comprising the housing, fan,electric motor and associated parts may be separately used to produce acurrent of air in a room, or that it may be separately used by placingthe housing upon a radiator and closing the air inlet openings by theshutters to produce a current of heated air.

For the purpose of heating the air discharged through the dischargeopening 5 of the housing 5, I have provided the electric heating elementl3 within the discharge opening outside the fan and I have also providedthe electric switch l4 for separately controlling the operation of thisheating element. I5 is the electric switch for separately controllingthe operation of the electric motor l0 which latter is preferablyconstructed to run at different speeds, such as a high speed and a lowspeed. Suitable electric connections are provided for detachableengagement with an electric socket. With this construction, the electricmotor may run at either speed and the heating element may be used ateither speed, or cut out.

The electric heating element I3 is preferably insulatably carried by theelectric motor I0, so that the fan 9, electric motor and heating elementform a unit adapted to be detachably mounted on the brackets H. I alsopreferably provide the grille 5' outside the heating element and forminga part of the unit.

Figures 4, 4 5 and 6 show another embodiment of my invention in which Isis the receptacle for liquid, such as water, having in its rear and endwalls the air inlet openings II, the openings in the end walls providinghand holes for carrying the apparatus. 18 is the endless porous fibrousmember formed in the same manner as the fibrous member 4, but thefibrous member l8 does not extend above the upper end of the receptacle.I9 is an endless stop at the upper end of the receptacle and extendinginwardly from its side walls to the top of the fibrous member, so thatall air entering through the inlet openings I! must pass through thefibrous member I8. 20 is the housing having an open lower end and theopening 2| in its front wall. 22 is the fan mounted within this housingfor forcing air outwardly through the discharge opening and 23 is theelectric motor for driving the fan. 24 is an electrio-heating elementoutwardly beyond the fan and in the opening and both the motor and theelement are separately controlled by suitable electric switches. Thehousing has at its comers the legs 25 which are adapted to engagecorrespondingly shaped openings at the upper end of the receptacle l6and formed between its side walls and theendless stop I! and the housingis so shaped that when it is super-imposed upon the receptacle its sidewalls register with those of the receptacle.

The fan 22, electric motor 23 and the electric heating element 24 alsoform a unit in this modification which is insertable into or withdrawnfrom the housing. Preferably these parts are carried by a supportadapted to extend through the opening 2| of the housing 20 and formingthe air discharge passageway. I also preferably provide the grille 20'outside the heating element and forming a part' of the unit.

The operation of this air conditioning apparatus is the same as that ofFigures 1, 2 and 3.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10, 26 isthe housing having in its front wall the air discharge opening 21. 28 isthe fan within the housing for forcing air outwardly through thedischarge opening and 29 is the electric motor for driving the fan. 30is the electric heating element located within the opening and both thisheating element and the motor are separately controlled by individualswitches. The unit arrangement of the fan, electric motor and electricheating element is the same as that shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6. Therear wall of the housing 26 is" formed with the opening 3| through whichthe receptacle 32 for liquid, such as water, may be inserted into thehousing. This receptacle has the rear wall 33 which is adapted tooverlap the portions of the rear wall of the housing surrounding theopening 31 and the upper portion of this rear wall is formed with theair inlet opening 34. 35 is the porous fibrous member mounted upon theresilient frame 36 which is preferably formed of wire and which has thezig-zag or corrugated upper and lower portions 31 and 38 respectively.against the top flange 39 extending inwardly from the rear wall 33 abovethe air inlet opening 34, the end flanges 40 extending inwardly from therear wall 33 at the ends of the air inlet opening 34 and the side andbottom walls of the receptacle and firmly holds the fibrous member inplace, so that all air passing through the inlet opening 34 must passthrough the fibrous member. Furthermore, the construction is such thatthe frame and fibrous member may be readily removed and replaced.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An air conditioning apparatus, comprising a receptacle forliquid,said receptacle being open This frame exerts a yieldable pressure at itsupper end, an upright frame on said receptacle and extending thereabove,a porous fibrous member mounted on said frame and extending ,downwardlywithin said receptacle, a housing said housing for forcing air throughsaid discharge opening, and means for compelling all the air enteringthrough said inlet openings to pass through said fibrous member.

2. An air conditioning apparatus, comprising a receptacle for liquid, anendless porous fibrous.

member extending from a point above said receptacle downwardly withinsaid receptacle and near its side walls, a housing open at its lower endand telescopically engaging said receptacle and having its side wallsspaced from said fibrous member, said housing having an air inletopening in one of its side walls opposite said fibrous member and an airdischarge opening, a fan for forcing air through said discharge opening,and means for compelling all the air forced through said dischargeopening to pass through said fibrous member.

3. An air conditioning apparatus, comprising a receptacle for liquid, aporous fibrous member extending downwardly within said receptacle, ahousing extending above said receptacle and communicating therewith andprovided with a discharge opening, a fan within said housing for forcingair through said opening, and a stop upon said housing and engaging theupper end of said fibrous member to compel all the air forced throughsaid opening to pass through said fibrous member. Y 7

4. An air conditioning apparatus, comprising a receptacle for liquid, anupright endless porous fibrous member within said receptacle and spacedfrom its side walls, one of said side walls being provided with an airinlet opening, a stop at the upper end of said receptacle and extendingfrom its side walls to said fibrous member, a housing above saidreceptacle and communicating with the space inclosed by said fibrousmember, said housing being provided with a discharge opening and a fanwithin said housing for forcing air through said opening.

' 5. An air conditioning apparatus comprising a receptacle for liquid, ahousing extending above said receptacle and communicating therewith andprovided with a discharge opening adjacent the top thereof, a fan withinsaid housing above the one wall of the housing provided with an intakeopening for air above the level of the liquid, a porous fibrous memberpositioned at the inner side of the opening and extending downwardlyinto the liquid, and means cooperating with the porous fibrous member tocompel all air flowing through the intake? opening under the action ofthe fan to pass through-the fibrous member.

"GEORGE w. LANGFORD. m

